Molly nodded. Yes, she knew that. Knew that the new owners might be interested in a tenant.
“Maybe you could even buy the duplex?” Gavin suggested. “Make it an investment.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” she admitted. Though, it wasn’t precisely what she had planned. It could work. If she crunched the numbers, she might even make enough renting out the duplex to put more money away for her future dream house.
Though, she’d need to do a thorough analysis into her finances to see where a duplex like this would fit into a long-term plan.
But if she did happen to win this competition, she’d be a whole lot more comfortable. Huh. Dang. She was still very much right in there. More than that, her couple was ready to pledge forever.
Gavin pulled into her driveway. He turned off the car.
He shouldn’t have turned off the car, because if they would not be making the post-date video, then he shouldn’t be staying. He should go home to his life.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Molly.” He held his hands at ten and two. She couldn’t help but notice the drawl in her name. Somehow she knew he didn’t mean for it to be there, which made it even more endearing.
Except he wasn’t allowed to be endearing right then. She needed him to drive her crazy. Make it easy for her to shut off everything between them. Make no mistake, she had to do the catch and release program so he could go be with his matchy-matched future.
“If you tell me to leave,” he said, the drawl still present, “I’ll go. This is your home. Who comes in and who goes? That’s a call only you get to make.” He leveled his stare at her. “But I’d very much like to come in to be sure you are okay.”
“I’m not okay,” she whispered. She really wasn’t okay. Trying to be and being weren’t the same thing.
He reached for her cheek, running his thumb over the apple. “I know.”
Everything was a mess of confusion in her mind. This kind of bone-deep shock rattled her marrow. The kind that took time to sort out. Each individual knot needed untying.
There had been a time when Ollie’s dad left and she was used to the feeling. But she’d gotten too complacent in the following years, and during that time she got comfortable.
“I need to come up with a plan,” she said, mostly to herself.
“Then let’s talk strategy,” he said, boardroom Gavin present and accounted for.
They climbed out of his Escalade, and he followed her into her kitchen. Her tiny kitchen. Nothing like his kitchen. Heck, even her toaster was a normal kind with only two slots. He could practically sous vide a steak. in his if he wanted to.
She wanted a sous vide toaster. She deserved one.
Yeah, she was going to buy one. And it could go in her new house. In her new kitchen.
“Let’s do a quick video recap.” She inhaled all the strength she could muster. “Simple. Mention things are going well between the two of them. Stay away from specifics, but make it clear the match looks permanent.”
He nodded. “We can do that.”
“We’ll be fun and upbeat.” Because she did now really want this cash.
“Okay, Molly,” he said, not arguing with her at all. Which made her more than a little punchy.
“And no one needs to know that I’m a mess,” she added.
That seemed to get his hackles up. “You’re not a mess.”
“I feel like a mess.” What? She did.
“From where I’m standing, you look like a woman who is taking the hits and still standing.”
Shewasstill standing. Always bouncing right back. But… “I’m tired of standing, Gavin.”
He moved to her, hugged her. “Then lean on me for a minute.”
